The MissAdventures of Dummy
by nanu107
Summary: The One time Tony Stark kept his word


**The adventures of Dummy**

I have been long busy with studying that I forget about these particular story. It's two years old and well, found it while cleaning my hard drive… I hope you enjoy it!

When Tony Stark, famed genius boy and self appointed playboy, created the automatons triplets he'd made it to one of his first covers in the magazines. Then these automatons were special; they could do several tasks on their own like picking after his messes, fetching anything they were ordered to, and most importantly helping him by holding any piece of machinery that needed holding. Yes, Tony Stark had made it to the big leagues with this pieces fine machinery. But the story behind these automatons wasn't that glamorous, it was rather… Mundane. When finishing his years at MIT one of his professors said that the only way he could give Tony a good grade was to outdo every single class mate's project. And then Tony (who anyway usually outdid everybody) started to spy on his class mates. None of the projects was too challenging.

He decided that instead of one he'll build three.

And thus the three electric arms were created. I'm sorry to disappoint all those of you who expected a better story; but that was the truth.

The first, who he liked to call Bob back then, was created with the brand new equipment he asked his father for; material coming hot from Stark Industries, chips, wires, metal... Rhodey had suggested he shared these items, but Tony had always been a bit too selfish. The second, that he came to name Marlene, was created with the same amount of materials, but less glamour because he had to patch up some work inside the machine, but outside they seemed the same. Her make up wasn't as good as Bob's, but it was perfect. The third, he sadly admitted only once (and only to himself in the workshop's mirror), was made from scraps of the other two, with so much patch up work in the circuits and memory chips it was a miracle it worked at the very end of things.

This one he called Dummy.

And Dummy came to live because of the little miracles and mishaps of engineering. But to Tony's constant annoy it was a very slow learner, it couldn't understand language at first, data from it's mainframe usually came all jumbled up, once it understood language it wouldn't follow orders and totally spaced out when called for. Tony had no idea why he packed it so lovingly along with its siblings and took it home. Many times after that Tony screamed at the arm "_I should have left you at MIT_" or "_you useless piece of junk_" or "_Why do I even keep you_?". But each time it was forgiven, and each time after JARVIS and its siblings got their proper updates so did Dummy.

It was upgraded at least three times a year and by the time the triplets had their fifth birthday their bodies were riddled with new systems; voice recognition, security measure that went off the hook, their hard drives had terabytes of memory banks, touch sensors, self awareness (almost as good as Jarvis') and more flexibility with three fingers to grasp and pull. Tony was very proud of them. Usually after saying that he would leave the workshop (at their new Malibu house) and while it's brothers would go into stand by, Dummy would remain running and practice on whatever new task Tony had tried to teach it. It would throw small items and fetch them back at the work stations, it would fight with bottle after bottle of water to grasp and not crush, it moved in different speeds to reach it's imaginary target near the workstation with whatever tool. One of the many restless nights, Tony returned to the workshop, and found the arm playing around; he asked what in hell the arm was doing, and whining it stopped; dropping a very expensive set of tools as it did so. After that Tony appointed Dummy as the boy in waiting if anything ever happened to him; every other equipment would just go into stand by, but not Dummy; it would clean the shop, polish cars, keep Jarvis company by inner dialog...anything until he returned.

And who would have thought that a good 12 years later this decision would make things for a woman he didn't even know back them so much easier.

Pepper Potts arrived at the workshop for the first time in the autumn of 1999. Dummy remembered the date because she was the first person in record that ever collided with the automaton. And because her hand actually held onto his long reach fingers for support. She let out a laugh too, as Tony got up to help her up. He quickly apologized for the '_sorry piece of junk_' and guided her around the workshop, set up her password, and then hushed her out because he had to work. She visited daily, and always gave Dummy a smile (actually only she knew this, dummy couldn't see or feel it), and once, when Tony was working on a very important deadline, he insisted to have Potts down there with him (for some dark reason of his own). Dummy took it upon itself to make her feel comfortable, and help her in whatever she needed. It would fetch her water, when her pens fell to the ground it would pick them up, and when her cell phone rang it would handed it over to her. It kept busy and practiced for the tasks Tony usually barked about without the same care or without getting the usual _thank you_ Potts gave. Tony almost disconnected its mainframe and suggested the automaton had fallen in love with her. Pepper only said it was a '_dear lovely thing_'.

By 2005 the triplets had a mayor upgrade; all circuits changed and new directions and new mainframes and boards and covers... And even when brand new stuff replaced its already burned system and circuits, Dummy kept acting the same way. Tony couldn't understand why, his engineering mind angry against whatever short circuits had taken place at the very beginning of this arms to make this one so stupid... Now the triplets acted as Jarvis' arms, and do many mathematical calculations to help a very drunk Tony work better. But Dummy's were usually wrong and was never paid much mind to.

Then their creator vanished, and Dummy's siblings went into stand by. Dummy powered up every morning, bright and early, and started it's routine: fetch a bottle of water and an energy drink, set them over the workstation (with a coaster of course, Pepper teach him as much), start running scans on the computer's Tony used, moved about in search of the usual tools and place them diligently so over the second workstation and then polish the Hot Rod, the Cobra, the Audi and finally the Corvette (in odd days it would also polish the Bentley, the Mercedes and Jaguar), by the time seven in the night hit, Dummy would start to put everything away. The un-drank bottle of water and can of sugar and caffeine were set back in the fridge, the tools were brought back to place and then everything cleaned with a vacuum extension Tony had installed into it. Then lights out and the computers off...

When Pepper saw this display of movement she cried herself to sleep in the workshop's couch. After that she would come down here to work, and keep Dummy company; although really _why_? Dummy had no feelings. Yet that didn't keep Dummy from helping her any way it could, fetching drinks, pens, and when it got lucky it would be patted as reward.

When Tony returned, Dummy got to hold the fire extinguisher for the first time; as it's brother held the camera. That was the first warning; if you dose me again I'm donating you to the city collage. Tony had made many threats in the past, never held true to nay of them, so Dummy continued to try and not dose its owner. Then Iron Man was created, and work doubled for all the computer systems in the house; except for Dummy.

Dummy was there when the suits was donned for the first time, it was also there when it was removed with much difficulty for the firs time.

Dummy was there when Tony returned injured and bleeding, and it was also there when Pepper cried over Tony's limp form after bandaging him up.

Dummy was there when they first kissed, and also in their first fight, the first time they made love...

Dummy saw many firsts things.

Even the first time Tony Stark held true any of his treats against the automaton. It had happened so fast, not even Jarvis could have seen it coming. Tony had been testing a new system for the suit, there were seven short circuits happening in the suits and without warning Dummy's electric finger went and set off the fire extinguisher. Pepper had been doused off with a large quantity of the white foam and Tony had gotten so angry (she had been wearing a new outfit) that he disconnected the arm and cut the internal battery.

Dummy was indeed given away to the city college and when it was started up again, it was connected to the lowest computers system ever created. Memory still intact, but running at the lowest capacity for fear of frying the complete College's system, Dummy could only do as it was told; get this, fetch that, go low, go up... It moved slowly and many students tried to fix it, but when scans and tests came back without problems no one could understand why it was working so badly. The voluntary whines (means to tell its system AI was fully active) died away, and Dummy was silent in the College's mainframe.

One of the seniors, a lovely girl with similar physical characteristics to Pepper, suggested it was depressed. The rest of the class laughed at her, and they dubbed Dummy the Depressed Automaton. Dummy's system continued to record the days, the tasks, the tests, and students that tried to help it. And two years later Dummy had a short circuit in one of the side boards that lead to its third finger and although it stopped working nobody paid much mind to it. Dust started to gather on its base, and soon another short circuit made one of the wheels fall, again nothing to worry about. Lack of maintenance and upgrades continued to deteriorate the large arm, and slowly the systems started to stop working. But the terabytes of information on it's very heart continued to gather, and soon to move, Dummy would play images of Pepper or Tony, even whine a little. Usually when one student took much interest on the arm, it would try and peek into the mainframe, only to find it locked solid and unable to enter. Tony Stark designed this security system, no amateur could enter it, and if they tried to peer it open, Dummy would fight them off with much might, and even hide to keep the precious information intact. And every time it worked.

When the record hit five years of it's banishment a security protocol was fired up after a blackout; it had to return home. Dummy could be found wheeling and racking quite the mess as it try and leave the lab; once it made it to the parking lot, where it took twenty students to reel it in. But every opportunity it got Dummy would wheel away, like Jonny5 in the old movie, trying to go home and lifting it's working fingers like E.T. To avoid this from happening again the head engineer (or teacher) took the automaton's wheels and bolt it to the floor, near the hydrogen powered car they had built only two years ago. For another year, Dummy just fetched tools, and handed bottles of water and sodas... Until it's system crashed and there was no way of repairing it.

Stark Industries played a great sponsor and constructed them a better more advanced arm, when the technicians unbolted Dummy the Depressed Automaton and placed the new ARM, they didn't know this particular automaton's history and just place it next to the college's trash can. With a forty day battery pack Dummy's system was aware of the bad weather's condition, but couldn't process it, it moved a bit a few times, but unable to wheel it's way home it just stopped working.

When Dummy started to record again it was in more familiar surroundings.

No, not the college, he was back at Tony Stark's workshop. "...my friend, are a sorry piece of..."

"Tony." Pepper's voice came into the air, and Dummy whined a bit. "Come on, we have a history together, he can help me with the baby."

"Please, Pepper, I wouldn't allow this thing close to my child even if you begged for it."

"Tony." Pepper repeated and Dummy whined louder, making both humans turn to it. "It painted such a sad picture dropped next to the trash can."

"How could you recognize him after all there years?" He asked unbolting a rather large disgusting looking screw from the side of the arm.

"I looked out and saw him, and memory just snapped."

"Yeah, you also snapped at Happy, poor man must have had quite the scare."

"He had to get it in the trunk, you know. I couldn't have carried it even in my best of days. Hi there, little fellow." Said Pepper touching the automaton's badly damaged carcass.

"Don't touch it, please, it could be dirty with some radiation sickness..."

"Please, don't threat him like that, he's our friend."

"That's why I donated it to the college remember? I wonder why they threw it out." A second of silence. "Oh my good heavens! They bolted an air conditioner screw into the mainframe... How you must have suffered."

"What does that mean?"

"That I have to put him out of his misery." And Dummy was off line again.

Its digital clock recorded two more days before Dummy loaded up again. To it's surprise it could see; there was Tony cleaning his hands on a rag and smiling.

"_...System loaded sir, working in perfect order._"

"Hey there, Dummy, how was your rest? Good?" The arm whined and felt that third finger that hadn't move in so long stir and move. "You are looking a lot better than you did my friend." Looking down it registered its shape with new wheels, new covers, new circuits, new... everything. "I gave you your twenty one upgrades and now you are as good as new." It whined and reached to touch Tony with eagerness. "Now, come on calm down. Its ok, you are home now. I'm not going to give you away again, ok? I lack good help around here."

Dummy turned and saw it's brothers a few feet away, working hard on polishing the cars and doing a very poor job at it. Suddenly the door tot he stairs opened and Pepper came in, she wasn't very pregnant but her belly was starting to burst. Dummy whined with delight and moved (_wheels work_!) to Pepper, whining with happiness.

"Did you fix him?"

"Of course I fix him! I re-invented him!"

The arm came to rest tenderly against Pepper's neck, and she hugged it. Caressing its brand new surface. "I missed you so, friend. And don't worry I forgiven you for the foam on the brand new outfit." It whined and there was a moment of silence.

"I knew you were been unfaithful!" Accused Tony as Pepper smiled at them.

"Well he reached inside places you've never touched."

Silence.

"Hey!" Dummy moved between them, fetching tools pens, anything (avoiding of course, the fire extinguisher) and then to the cars where it started to polish the jaguar quickly. "It's not suppose to take initiative so fast." Commented Tony watching the arm move about, as they other two arms dropped their tools and started to work with the suit's maintenance. Pepper moved closer to her husband and smiled at his handy work.

"_I wasn't supposed to become a sentinel, sir. And I did._"

"So you are saying this automaton is a sentinel, Jarvis?"

"_No sir, but I can say it feels acutely as you do._"

"So it was lonely and now it's happy to be home?" Asked Pepper, as Tony turned to her and then looked down at her belly, hand lifting to rub the growing bundle of joy.

"It appears so, ma'am. Some of the recorded information suggests so."

"I'm so awesome." Said Tony leaning to kiss the growing belly. "I make things that take life, aren't I awesome Pepper?"

"Sure you are." They kissed and Pepper smiled. "Now let's get you ready for that meeting."

"Aw, do we have to go?"

"Yes we do, so come with."

"Alright, Jarvis, power all down."

"Very well sir." As they exited the shop all lights turned off, the computers and automatons finished their calculations and went on to stand by.

All except for Dummy, who had just started polishing the red corvete.


End file.
